Comedian Russell Brand took to his web series The Trews to rip Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly for “getting the wrong message” from history after suggesting that the Berlin Wall is an example of how to solve the influx of immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border.

In a segment of his show with guest Karl Rove, former President
George W. Bush’s top strategist, O’Reilly said “a border
fence like they did in East Germany” may be the way to
handle undocumented migrants fleeing areas of South
and Central America in search of better environs.

“[T]hat wasn’t actually a triumph of social engineering, or
even architecture,” Brand then said of the Berlin Wall.
“That wall became a symbol for all that was wrong with the
world — a country riven in two, the epitome of the Cold War, a
symbol of conflict, dishonor, and disdain. Surely, Bill will say,
‘Let’s never again repeat these horrors.’”

Brand cut back to O’Reilly, who said, “I was there, when that
wall came down — and nobody could get through that fence. It was
a formidable obstacle. Israelis have done the same thing to keep
out terrorism there. So, we haven’t done that on the southern
[US] border.”

Brand then interceded, saying, “Bill, he’s really learning
the wrong lessons from life. Bill fails to absorb the most
obvious lessons of history — the Berlin Wall was bad, what’s
happening between Israel and Palestine is bad. These aren’t
tidbits of knowledge that you should pick up and apply to
America.”

O’Reilly went on to advocate a National Guard presence on the
US-Mexico border, akin to such a military action in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or after the brutal beating by
police of Rodney King that led to riots across Los Angeles in
1991.

“No, Bill, you’re getting the wrong message again!”
Brand then said, adding that the unrest following Katrina and
during the LA riots were a result of social inequality and a lack
of infrastructure afforded to the least fortunate communities in
the US.

Brand goes on to connect this social unrest to a corporation like
General Electric, which, Brand said, took home $108 billion in
profit last year, yet paid no net domestic taxes by storing those
profits overseas. But yet O’Reilly, Brand said, chooses to focus
on punitive measures against immigrants “looking for a better
life.”

“So, what I’m suggesting Bill,is that instead of
trying to study some of the worst atrocities in history — both
world, and American — look at the excessive corporate world and
why don’t you advocate against them not paying taxes?" Brand
asked. "Is it because you work for Fox, a massive
corporation, and you’re a conditioned citizen, conveying only a
message of corporate hegemony and disempowerment of the
people?”